THE MERCURY 13

From Episode 6 of our Discovery Channel series "Rocket Science". In June of 1963 the Soviet Union launched 26-year-old Valentina Tereshkova into space. She flew 48 orbits over 3 days, logging more flight time than all the American astronauts who proceeded her combined. She was also both the first and last woman in space until Cosmonaut Svetlana Savitskaya was launched to the Salyut 7 space station in 1982. NASA finally launched its first female astronaut, Sally Ride, 20 years to the day after Tereshkova's return from orbit.

But did you know that, during the same early-60s period, NASA was also testing and training a talented group of female astronauts, nicknamed the Mercury 13? If you didn't, this is probably why.

Видео THE MERCURY 13 канала Michael Lennick